This invention relates to a semiconductor device including a plurality of interconnected functional blocks of integrated circuits, inter alia, at least an amplifier block, operating at high and ultrahigh frequencies and at different frequencies, each block comprising at least a DC distribution line, means for polarizing (biasing) each block by means of the DC voltage of its distribution line, said blocks also comprising power-matched circuits operating in the ultrahigh frequency range.
The invention is used for antenna reception modules for receiving television broadcasts which are directly transmitted by an artificial satellite (Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) receivers)) operating in the frequency band of 11.7 to 12.2 GHz.
The invention is also used in any converter circuit, for example, in the field of telecommunication or in on-board wireless systems.
Such a device is known from the publication entitled "A low cost high performance MMIC, low noise down converter for direct broadcast satellite reception" by P. Wallace, R. Michels, J. Bayruns et at. of the ANADIGIGS Inc. company in IEEE 1990 Microwave and Millimeter-wave Monolithic Circuit Symposium, pp. 7-10.
This publication describes a monolithic circuit comprising a low noise amplifier, a picture filter, an active mixer, an IF filter, an IF amplifier and a local oscillator.
This circuit is very compact. For its operation it additionally requires a dielectric resonator and two DC supplies, a positive one at +6 V and a negative one at -5 V. The circuit is realised by means of a process including GaAs MESFET transistors. It is provided with a housing and is mass produced for receiving television broadcasts.
This publication points out that for consumer use the cost price of the integrated circuit should be as low as possible. Hence, integrated circuit designers aim at products having a better, or at least equivalent performance but which is less expensive than those of their competitors.
This publication therefore states that it is necessary to combine as many functions as possible on one and the same substrate. For this reason the known device includes all of the above-mentioned functions as well as the decoupling circuits and the DC blocking capacitances.
However, the substrate does not include the dielectric resonator which is fixed to the housing, as well as the circuits for generating the DC supply voltages, which circuits constitute an additional external operating circuit.